Authorities in Bollinger County looking for man who went missing Saturday

Southeast Missourian

Thursday, August 25, 2011

This photo of Matthew Willmirth was uploaded onto the Southeast Missourian's Facebook page.

ZALMA, Mo. -- Bollinger County sheriff's deputies are searching the woods near Zalma for a Marble Hill, Mo., man who hasn't been seen since Saturday.

According to Bollinger County Sheriff Leo McElrath, Matthew Wayne Willmirth, 24, walked away from his vehicle after it broke down Saturday afternoon on Highway 51. McElrath said authorities believe he may have been under the influence of bath salts or another substance and possibly wandered off into the nearby woods.

McElrath said Willmirth's mother and brother went to help him with his vehicle and saw him walking down County Road 618.

"They didn't actually see him go in the woods," McElrath said.

Willmirth's mother, Connie, said she and her other son took Matthew out to pick up his car because it had broken down. The two men had an argument and Matthew ran off.

"He ran from us," she said.

The county volunteer fire department and sheriff's deputies have searched the area extensively.

"Right now we're at a standstill," McElrath said. "We've contacted his acquaintances, and no one has seen him."

Anyone with information should contact the Bollinger County Sheriff's Department at 573-238-2633.

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I wonder if their was evidence of bath salt use, or just an assumption. I don't feel it was appropriate to mention it until proof or evedence was found. Sounds like a scare tactic plug for any youth that may be reading this.

-- Posted by Darin H on Wed, Aug 24, 2011, at 12:44 PM
Am I right? The family members saw him walking didn't pick him up but instead drove away and reported him missing? What am I missing here?

-- Posted by hjh66web on Wed, Aug 24, 2011, at 2:00 PM
Whatever the situation, I will say a prayer for he and his family. Hope that all will be well.

-- Posted by Hot Dog on Wed, Aug 24, 2011, at 3:15 PM
It is not a "scare tactic" for youth. Unless you know the real story, I wouldn't say anything because there is a lot more to it than what is in this article.

-- Posted by anlaclair on Wed, Aug 24, 2011, at 3:45 PM
anlaclair...I'm sure you are correct...because if his family didn't pick him up that's pretty bazaar to me..and if they were scared to pick him up for some reason why wouldn't they at least watch to see where he went....amazing!

-- Posted by Agnes on Wed, Aug 24, 2011, at 4:03 PM
I can assure you his mother and brother are feeling bad enough as it is for not going after him and it doesn't help when you have the people on here saying that about them. Maybe they should have went after him but like I had said, none of you people know the real story.

-- Posted by anlaclair on Wed, Aug 24, 2011, at 4:22 PM
His family certainly didn't just let him walk away, he ran away from them! I don't know about the "bath salts", but he wasn't in a good frame of mind, and of course if his family knew this would be the outcome, they would have spent the night in the woods themselves following him. Hindsight is always 20/20.

-- Posted by donormom on Wed, Aug 24, 2011, at 9:19 PM
Well at least they changed the story. Whoever reported this to the Missourian didn't have a clue as to what they were talking about. Also it was BS that the Missourian didn't even contact Connie about running the story.

-- Posted by anlaclair on Thu, Aug 25, 2011, at 7:35 AM
It would be nice if the paper would actualy contact the family befor reporting what the family sayes.

-- Posted by Connie Willmirth on Thu, Sep 1, 2011, at 10:19 PM

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